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Muslim Men in India Can No Longer Divorce Women by Saying ‘Talaq’ Three Times

It’s a “historic” step.

These three small words can spell disaster for a Muslim woman — “Talaq, talaq, talaq.”

Simply by uttering the word “talaq” — meaning divorce — three times, a Muslim man can immediately bring his marriage to an end in a controversial law that activists claim violates women’s rights.

But in a “historic” decision, India’s Supreme Court has branded that law “unconstitutional” and “un-Islamic.”

A panel of five judges have today announced a six-month suspension on the practice, which could spell the end for the misogynistic law, which often leaves women with zero resources or ability to bring in income, sending them into poverty.

India, however, doesn’t have a uniform set of laws on marriage, according to the BBC, and allows most religions to regulate matters like marriage and divorce through civil codes.

But the quickie divorce has come under increasing criticism, particularly as some cases have emerged of men using the “triple talaq” over text message, Skype, and even Whatsapp.

According to campaigners,
thousands of women
have been divorced by their husbands in this way, with poor women and their children being particularly vulnerable to the practice and the destitution it can result in.

In the Koran, according to Islamic scholars, it’s clearly stated that issuing a divorce has to be spread over three months, allowing a couple time for reflection and reconciliation.